she joins us by phone. elise, what is different would you say about this kidnapping compared to the others that we've reported on before? >> reporter: well, randi, in the past a lot of these kidnappings were about money. a lot of them were trying to make a little extra money. what they would do is kidnap americans or other westerners for ransom. and a short period of time they were released. this time they have some very specific demands. they have some relatives detained recently in alexandra on drug charges and they want them released in exchange for releasing these americans. >> so will the state department, will anybodyin the u.s. government negotiate with them? >> reporter: well, that's not really u.s. policy, randi, to negotiate with kidnappers or terrorists. and also this is about egyptian law. the egyptian authorities are working on this issue with trying to negotiate the release, not really clear whether they would let these relatives go. but the u.s. is really leaving it in the hands of the egyptians and saying that obviously they'll do anything they can to help them home. i don't think negotiating is in

the cards for the u.s. >> and this is such a popular area for tourists. i mean, and then you hear about these kidnappings. and they're certainly on the rise, right? >> reporter: they are on the rise, randi, because in the last year since the fall of hosni mubarak, the area's been more lawless than usual. really it's an explosive mix of militants and criminals and trafficking. but since hosni mubarak's fall, the egyptian authorities really haven't had the bandwidth to pay extra attention to this region because they're dealing with a lot of turmoil and protests and political chaos in cairo and some of the other bigger cities. usually they're pretty good about patrolling the area, but right now it's not their first priority. so there's a lot more criminal activity in the sinai. >> getting back to the state department, hillary clinton is in egypt on a previously scheduled trim to meet with mohamed morsi. does this change anything about the focus of her visit, do you think, even if they're not going to negotiate?

>> reporter: i think what it does, randi, is it highlights the fact that the sinai is a very dangerous area. it's on the border with israel. there have been some cross border attacks into israel by militants. israelis are very concerned. and the u.s. is very concerned. now you have americans that are involved. so i think obviously the first priority is dealing with the new government engaging between the two countries. but also the issue of the sinai and peace treaty between israel and egypt, that want to make sure sinai is under control. there could be a lot of trouble not only about criminal activity and kidnapping of americans but between israel and egypt if that area isn't brought under control. >> elise labott, thank you very much. appreciate that. and now a video from northeast india that has gone viral. but i have to warn you, the images you're about to see are disturbing. [ speaking in a foreign

language ] >> a young girl attacked and molested by a group of men outside a bar. police have arrested four of the 14 suspects. they have been charged with molestation, unlawful restraint, vulgar behavior and causing harm. official records show there has been a sudden burst of crimes against women in that country. closer to home, george zimmerman, the man charged with killing 17-year-old trayvon martin, wants a new judge. his legal team has asked for kenneth lester to step down from the case accusing him of bias. they filed a motion saying the judge made disparaging remarks about their client's character. the attorneys say the judge also has threatened their client with contempt. turning to politics now. president obama's campaign has released a new ad today. it features mitt romney singing "america the beautiful." obama's campaign charges in the ad that romney either shipped jobs, outsourced or stored portions of his financial portfolio in several other

countries. the ad comes as both president obama and mitt romney are on the attack over bain capital. that is the company that romney founded. he says he left in 1999, but new documents show that he was being paid by bain for a couple years after that. the president is demanding answers from his rival. and romney is ripping the president's re-election campaign for what he calls demeaning and disgusting tactics. >> i think what the president is doing is terribly destructive to the political process and beneath what the people of america expected from someone who said he was going to rise above partisan politics and bring a new era of change to washington. we're not seeing that in this campaign so far. >> my understanding is is that mr. romney attested to the s.e.c. multiple times that he was the chairman, ceo and president of bain capital. and i think most americans figure if you're the chairman, ceo and president of a company

that you are responsible for what that company does. ultimately, mr. romney i think is going to have to answer those questions. >> president obama is hitting the campaign trail today in the battleground state of virginia. athena jones joins us from the white house. athena, good morning. why the white house? why is it so significant for the president? >> reporter: good morning. virginia's 13 electoral votes are very important to president obama's re-election campaign. he won the state back in 2008, but it is by no means a reliably blue state. he was the first democrat to win since lyndon johnson in 1964. so the obama campaign is hoping to keep virginia in the d column by focusing on this idea that he is going to fight for the middle class whereas mitt romney is going to be more concerned with helping out the wealthy. this is -- against john mccain. and specifically today we expect to hear the president again call on congress to extend those tax cuts for the middle class for

people making less than $250,000 a year. randi. >> i would imagine mitt romney also a busy man today. >> reporter: well, actually mitt romney is spending the weekend up at his lake house in new hampshire along the shores. we are keeping an eye on him. no public schedule. if anything changes, we'll be watching him as well, randi. >> all right. athena jones at the white house, thank you. outrage over the uniforms for team usa is leading designer ralph lauren to make a change for the next set of olympic games. the company announcing it will make uniforms for the 2014 games in the united states. that is a change from this year's outfits, which were made in china. and the contractor responsible for providing security guards for the olympics says it stands to lose up to $77 million. the company's chief executive says he regrets they didn't recruit enough people as promised less than two weeks before the event. now the government will step in adding 3,500 extra troops to

cover that gap. more violence in syria. and the assad regime is now attacking civilians from the sky. we'll have a live report. [ wife ] your dad's really giving him the business... the designated hitter's the best thing to happen to baseball! but it's not the same game! [ wife ] wow, he's really gonna get us a good deal. it's better! no it's not! the pitcher comes up and he's out! [ dealer ] he can bunt! whatever. but we're good with 0% apr for 60 months? oh, yeah, totally. thank you so much. that must've been brutal. [ male announcer ] the volkswagen autobahn for all event. at 0% apr for 60 months, no one needs to know how easy it was to get your new volkswagen. that's the power of german engineering.

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we're all committed to team usa. just hours after one of the deadliest days in syria, more violence and more deaths. there was heavy shelling in several places. at least 35 people were killed just today. yesterday more than 200 died. opposition activists say regime forces are firing at people from low-flying helicopters. syrian state-tv claims at least three civilians and a security officer were killed in a suicide

truck bombing. we're watching everything unfold. what's happening there, mohammad. >> randi, a lot more disturbing reports out of syria today from opposition activists. a lot of reports of low-flying helicopters firing on residents in and around syria. there's one amateur video we should talk about. this purports to show a helicopter flying over the damascus suburb. it was purportedly taken earlier today. in it the person on the tape is saying that this is a helicopter firing on the residents of this town, which is in a suburb of damascus. that's very disturbing. we've also heard reports of a car bomb in hama province. and as you mentioned shelling throughout the country. different provinces. the death toll today according to opposition activists up to 35. let's talk for a moment about

tremseh. we know earlier the u.n. observer mission suspended in syria on june 15th, they actually made it to the town. but the last we heard was that the residents of the town did not want them coming in if they were going to be accompanied by syrian regime forces. the syrian regime forces are saying they have to accompany the u.n. observers into that town to defend the delegation. but the residents of that town according to the activist we're speaking with are saying they're not going to let those observers in to investigate unless they are not accompanied by the regime forces. randi. >> then you have the syrian opposition looking to remove kofi annan as a special envoy. he's been trying all these months to get a cease fire. what are they so angry about? >> reporter: they're angry, randi, because they say that ever since kofi annan was appointed as the envoy to syria and ever since this u.n. mission went into syria that not only has the violence not stopped,

not only the killings haven't stopped, it's actually escalated. they're blaming this on kofi ann annan. it's giving the government more time to carry out this crackdown that's been going on. yesterday we saw and heard of many rallies throughout syria. we saw a lot of amateur video showing thousands of people in different parts of syria marching in the streets, not only in solidarity with the victims of that massacre in tremseh, but also expressing outrage at kofi annan and the u.n. and calling for the removal of kofi annan as the envoy to syria, randi. >> and what about the stockpile? the chemical weapons stockpile. how much concern is there that the government is moving this? >> reporter: well, we heard from a u.s. official yesterday, randi, that the u.s. now believes that some chemical weapons in syria have been moved. but the official that spoke to cnn said they're not sure if it was moved in order to protect the chemical weapons because of the fighting that's going on in syria to make sure nothing happens to it, or more

ominously, was it moved in order to try to use it against some of the population of syria? there's been a great concern from the u.s. and other international powers about syria's weapons stockpile. the u.s. has said for a while now they've had their eye on syrian weapons stockpiles there trying to make sure nothing happens. and because of these new reports, a lot more concern about what exactly is going to be done with these weapons that they believe have been moved, randi. >> and still no indication that this conflict is going to end any time soon. mohamed jamjoom, thank you. to afghanistan where 17 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack at a wedding. 45 others have been injured. it seems the target of the attack was a prominent member of the afghan parliament. he was killed as he welcomed guests to his daughter's wedding. no one has claimed responsibility so far, but the taliban is expected. the number of murders in chicago since january has now surpassed the number of troops killed in afghanistan this year.

and most of those dying are young people. we'll take a look behind the numbers. and a reminder if you're leaving the house right now, you can continue watching cnn from your mobile phone. you can also watch cnn live from your laptop. don't leave us behind. go to cnn.com/tv. [ truck beeping ]

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the numbers are staggering. and the headlines so frequent that they're really almost mind-numbing. i'm talking about chicago. the violence there is nothing new. but this year it is turning out to be especially bloody. take a look at this. so far this year there have been 259 murders in the city. that is already up 38% since last year. let me put that in perspective. more people are being killed on the streets of chicago than u.s. troops in afghanistan this year. so many murders and there aren't even gun shops in chicago. yet somehow thousands of illegal weapons are making their way onto city streets. i tracked one of the guns responsible for killing a chicago police officer a couple of years ago. and you may be surprised to find out where it came from. thomas worthham wanted to be a police officer just like his father. but his promising career with

the chicago police department ended suddenly in may 2010. he was gunned down by four alleged gang members trying to steal his motorcycle. it happened in a matter of seconds just outside his parents' house. his father, a retired police sergeant, grabbed his gun to try and save his son. >> i saw hem with their guns out and i hollered out to them. >> reporter: and you shot one of them. >> i won't say anymore than they shot my son and in return they were shot. >> reporter: this is where this tale of tragedy ends. but investigators would soon figure out where it began. about 600 miles away in mississippi where the gun used in the murder was first purchased. this atf agent, who asked not to be identified, worked the case in mississippi. >> that trace showed one of our defendants had purchased that firearm in mississippi.

>> reporter: the atf says it was purchased in 2007 by a man who was paid $100 to buy guns for gun trafficker gates. >> individual went in, completed the paperwork and gave the firearms to mr. gates and never thought about the guns again. >> reporter: the atf says gates paid at least three people to buy guns for him, which he then sold to gang members in chicago. >> he preyed upon young college students that didn't have much money. and he would offer them $100 just to go into a gun store, fill out paperwork and hand him a bag of guns. as simple as that. >> reporter: the atf says it knows of 16 guns that gates trafficked into illinois. this map shows some of the crimes involving those guns. problem is, there's no way to know how many of gates' guns are still on the street. the atf says it can't trace them until they're used in a crime and recovered. this room is where the atf in chicago stores some of the

illegal guns its recovered off of the streets. over the last few years agents say they've seen a greater demand for more dangerous guns. criminals they say are no longer satisfied with a smaller gun like this 25. they're now demanding that traffickers bring them something like this a 9 mm. you can see the difference. this one can do much more harm. atf director was an agent in chicago at the time. he says an illegal gun may stay on the streets for decades. >> we've recovered guns originally purchased in the '70s that turn up in homicides here. they can bounce around and be used in multiple crimes. >> trayver says guns are trafficked into illinois from at least 25 states because there are no gun stores in chicago. how much money do the traffickers stand to make? >> i'm sure they're making close to 100% profit on the guns they sell. >> reporter: in the case of officer thomas wortham, gates made a few hundred dollars profit on the gun that fired the fatal shot. in the game of gun trafficking, the price of a policeman's life.

>> and the drug trafficker in that case was caught and is currently serving out a 10-year sentence. the olympics is supposed to be all about good sportsmanship and team spirit. but for one u.s. olympic team member there's more to it. we'll explain. this is our pool. ♪ our fireworks. ♪ and our slip and slide. you have your idea of summer fun, and we have ours. now during the summer event get an exceptionally engineered mercedes-benz for an exceptional price. but hurry, this offer ends july 31st.

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welcome back. 25 minutes past the hour. glad you're with us. the olympics kick off in less than two weeks. and today i want to talk about a

comment made by u.s. olympic soccer goalie hope solo. she told espn magazine the olympic village was a nonstop party. here's some of what she said, athletes are extremists, when they're training, it's laser focus. when they go out for a drink, it's 20 drinks. with a once-in-a-lifetime experience you want to build memories whether it's sexual, partying or on the field. i asked some former olympians what they thought about this. >> in 19d 92 when i stayed in the olympic village, my memories were swinging on a swing set, which is what i did, and hanging out with charles barkley in the physical therapy lab. athletes are disciplined. and i think it comes down to self-control. it's about medals and not about partying. >> jackie, what do you think? what was your experience? >> my experience, i agree with dominique. i can honestly say as a laser focused athlete myself, i never

dranked, i never sipped champagne, never had alcohol. so when you go to the olympic village, most of the athletes are there to focus on a job, trying to get the job done. and the one thing that the usoc has done is put this ambassador program together where they talk to the athletes about the dos and the don'ts bringing in former olympians and having them to share their experiences. but there are athletes there that lose focus. but for us it was always about i was trying to win a gold medal, silver medal, bronze medal and focus on what i had to do to get the job done. >> is she wrong? even if you two weren't involved in this behavior, she's talking about open sex. wherever you might see it. in the grass, in between buildings, wherever it might be. have you heard of anything like this? what kind of tone does that set for especially the young athletes? >> it's unfortunate if that is happening. and i would hope and i pray that it's not. i don't know. i can't talk about her experiences or what she has seen. but i know when i was in the

olympic village and when i was there, that wasn't going on. it's almost like she's saying there's no supervision. like they're just running rampant. i don't think that's the case. because i really do think this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. and most of these athletes are there to really make a dream come true. the olympics don't come around every year. >> no. >> so if you're in the village having fun, doing those type of things, then you're there for the wrong reason. but i can't condone what she's saying. but i don't know. i wasn't there to witness it. >> something else that rarely gets talked about that i wanted to ask you about this morning is, what happens when the training and the competing ends? what is an olympian to do? are there jobs? is there a career after this? >> well, i was actually a professional athlete in 1996. so i made a decent amount of money and went on tour shows and broadway even with my olympic teammates. and in 2000 when i retired from the sport, it was a very difficult time because i was always seen as dominique the

gymnast. i didn't know i had a different identity. i had a great time in prayer and deep thought and found out my passion is empowering and inspiring people, primarily young people and also parents. i do want to make an impact in people's lives. so i help people self-reflect. that's wlie i speak out today on the importance of health, fitness and wellness. >> jackie and dominique are here in atlanta to address childhood obesity. an autistic man stranded in a utah desert for three weeks is finally found. his amazing resourcefulness and his will to survive. [ feedback ] attention, well, everyone. you can now try snapshot from progressive free for 30 days. just plug this into your car, and your good driving can save you up to 30%. you could even try it without switching your insurance. why not give it a shot? carry on. now you can test-drive snapshot before you switch.

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a representative for sylvester stallone says the actor is devastated this morning after his son, sage, was found dead in his los angeles home. he appeared in the movie "rocky v" with his dad. he was also engaged to be married. sage stallone was 36. now to an amazing story of survival. an autistic man found emaciated, barely alive after surviving three weeks in an arizona desert. he went there to answer the call of the desert. the pilot who spotted him thursday said he didn't want to be rescued at first. he said lafever was borderline blelligerent when they tried to board him onto a helicopter. it's a good thing he did.

>> he was in tough shape. i don't think he had another 24 hours left in him. >> lafever survived by eating a frog, raw fish and some edible roots. earlier, i spoke with shane oldfield, the utah highway patrol pilot who spotted william lafever. he told me about the moment that he saw the young man. >> in all honesty, we didn't necessarily expect the outcome that we had. so the river's pretty winding. as we came around that fateful turn, i was pretty shocked to see him sitting in the river waving his arms at us. >> so describe that scene for me. i mean, you were flying along the river, first of all, why is that? and what did it look like below? >> well, the best reports we had said that he was going to be following the escalante river to lake powell and then continuing onto page, arizona. it's the only water in the area. and frankly it's such a large area that it was the only realistic and practical place for us to look. so, you know, lucky for him he

was actually in the river and wasn't hiding under a rock or under a tree in the shade. >> right. i'm sure that he was as surprised to see you as you were to see him. tell me about that reunion when you got down to the ground and approached him. how did that go? >> not as expected to be honest with you. he didn't really want to get in the helicopter at first. he was more interested in a little human contact and conversation and a snack. so we convinced him to eat a granola bar or two, gave him some liquid of course after assessing he wasn't in any immediate danger and let him take his time getting in the helicopter. >> and he lost about 50 pounds. describe how thin he looked. >> it was something you'd see out of the movies or, you know, in pictures. i've never seen anything like it personally in my life. and, you know, helping him into the helicopter, feeling his frame, there was nothing there. >> and from what i understand he'd been living basically on some plants and roots and frogs?

>> that's correct. he told us he'd been eati ininge of the roots he could get there in the river bank. by the time we got him, he was unable to stand, walk or even crawl. he was down to rolling. that was about the only form of motion -- locomotion he had. he told us a couple days beforehand that he had eaten a frog, didn't sit well with him and he didn't like it. there was a raw fish in there at some point. we don't know exactly when that was. >> you said he was more interested in talking than eating i guess when you first got down to him. what was he saying? >> mostly nonsensical things, as you might imagine in the state that he was in, but we tried to keep him talking about his experience, trying to figure out exactly what happened. so we were able to get some bits of information like what he'd been eating. we were able to surmise he'd probably been in that location where we found him for at least three to four days. he basically said that he walked straight until he couldn't walk

anymore. and then stopped right there. >> well, shane, i'm sure you're a hero to his family for sure. your keen eye saved a life it sounds like just in time. so thank you so much. and congratulations on that. it's incredible story. >> thanks, randi. protein is vital to staying healthy, but how do you get all the protein you need while avoiding meat? one health expert says eat a plant-based diet. we'll explain.

as we all know, protein is essential to every diet. and when you think protein, you probably think of steak or pork or chicken, but you can also get your daily dose of protein from plants.

earlier i spoke with mark mcdonald, he's a nutrition coach and author of "body of confidence." he explains the difference between animal protein and plant protein. >> many plant-based proteins don't have all the essential amee no acids. you have to make sure it's the right protein and complete protein. >> you brought some examples with you. if not all plants that have the complete protein, you have some examples here that would be -- that would have that. >> people like rice and beans, and that makes it complete. but you get like 40 carbs and only 7 grams of protein. you don't stabilize your blood sugar. >> i'm guilty of that. >> the key right amount of protein and carbs. protein and fat and carbs to stabilize blood sugar. you have hemp seed. it's a higher quality protein plant-based than soy. and this gives you great complete protein. >> people hear hemp and it raises some eyebrows. but that's okay. just saying.

>> hemp is such a balance. i understand that. >> you know where i'm going. >> but from a protein side, it's fantastic. it provides you with great omega 3, 6 or 9. a boca burger, tem pe is another soy. you have soy milk, you have the tofu and then the grain. it has all the essential amino acids that your body can utilize. >> you get protein in there. >> exactly. so you can use liez that. two other things, you have corn, which isn't a vegan protein, but it's a fungi. >> you mentioned soy a lot. i've done a lot of reading on this. i mean, there is some question about whether soy or too much soy is a problem. what do you think? >> well, soy has a lower amount

of nitrogen per gram than animal protein and causes your body to release estrogen, which is a fat-storing hormone. so when someone has breast cancer or some type of -- any type of estrogen factor cancer, they're recommended to avoid soy. overall, it's better if you're doing plant-based. but i still prefer a higher quality like a hemp or an animal protein, you'll get more nitrogen per gram. >> so it's okay. what if you don't get enough protein? first of all, how much do we need? and what are the dangers if there are any of not getting enough? >> that's the best question i want to hug you for asking. >> okay. >> hug it out. people don't understand when you have more nitrogen coming in than lee leaving in, you have to get protein because it has

nitrogen. how much do you need? it all depends. but what i recommend is based upon your weight that you want to get at least one gram per body weight typically. so like a female maybe about 20 grams per meal. a male could be anywhere from 30 to 35 grams per meal. >> okay. all right. that's good to know. >> balance of protein to carbohydrates. it's the most underestimated nutrient that people need. and to stabilize your blood sugar, to keep your body in a positive state, you need the right amount of protein, carbohydrates and fat. >> why do you think so many people -- there seems to be a movement towards plant-based eating. there are real clear advantages. i'm a vegetarian. i'm not vegan. i'm not that extreme. but i am -- i find myself a much more clear headed and i have more energy. do you hear that as well from your clients? >> i do. i think it's -- so first off, i'm cool with someone a vegan, vegetari vegetarian, as long as you get

the right amount of protein, carbs and fat. i think there's a misconception that people think meat protein is beef and pork and think, okay, meat is bad because it causes saturated fat. but lean protein like chicken, turkey, white fish, those are great sources of proteins. egg whites. so to me i think it's a balance. you have to get the right amount of plant base, animal and if you're educated on it, it's great for you. or if you want to be a vegetarian, make sure you get the right protein to protect your tissue. >> and what about broccoli and spinach? those don't come in a bag or box like these things, but they offer protein as well. >> incomplete protein though. this is the thing. you have incomplete and complete. the essential proteins your body can't make and you can only get those through animal or a by-product of animal like dairy or there's only a few plant-based complete proteins. everything we shared, soy, quinoa, these are complete proteins plant-based. >> anybody at home this morning in their kitchen watching and listening, think i'm going to

make a plant-based breakfast this morning. i'm going to put you on the spot. what do you recommend? >> you can do a couple things. if you have a plant base and there's a soy, there's a lot of soy like breakfast sausages that would give you the protein, fat, carbohydrat carbohydrates. you can take hemp seed and make a shake. you could grill up tempe and have fun with that. or tofu or cereal with soy milk. just make sure proteins and carbs are balanced. >> i hope you were taking notes during that. if you want more information though on healthy eating, you can find details in mark macdonald's book "body of confidence." she's young, she's beautiful. we'll have this woman's amazing story. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] you've been years in the making.

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be ware what you share on social media especially if you have ties to iran. a college student in holland knows that all too well. his father was arrested and threatened with execution after he joined a facebook page. brian todd explains. >> reporter: it's a strange looking cartoon on a facebook page. charles manson's face superimposed over what's believed to be an image of a cherished nint century and flanked by a camel wearing sunglasses and the donkey from "shrek." this has become popular among iranians. a 25-year-old college student in holland joined that page about a year ago. started posting jokes and ir reverent video clips. >> almost everybody involved believes everything would be subject of a joke and nothing

and nobody is too holy. >> reporter: but in may he got frantic calls from his family in iran. his father had been targeted for the alleged sins of his son, arrested, taken to a prison notorious in iran for torturing prisoners. >> a few days after arresting my father i received a call from my mother. she was very crying and said if you don't close that facebook page, they will execute your father. >> reporter: he messaged the manager of the facebook page asking for the page to be taken down. the manager refused. he says iranian officials have accused his father of supporting anti-religious activities by paying for his son's studies. what could the iranian regime seized on here? i'm with an analyst for the corporation speaks and reads fluent. what are the phrases on here that would have angered the

regime? [ speaking in a foreign language ] >> specifically this means superstitio superstitious. this is making fun of a holy figure within the religion and saying the believes are more superstition. >> reporter: considered sacrilegious by an iranian government who he says has brought its fist down on social media since the 2009 green revolution. given the technological sophistication of this regime, did you not think beforehand that they would pick up what you were doing on facebook, figure out what was doing it and then possibly target your family? >> well, i never thought they are going to target my family. i always thought that's okay i'm doing something that's not acceptable by the regime. i accept the consequence of my own activity. >> reporter: yashar says he still doesn't know the condition of his father, only that his father is "not free." he has also stopped contacting his mother and sister directly. cnn's efforts to get information on his father's arrest and condition from iranian officials

in tehran and at the u.n. have been unsuccessful. brian todd, cnn, washington. when i say pageant, you probably think beautiful women perfect from head to toe. well, right now contestants are gearing up to compete in miss florida usa's pageant. there's one contestant breaking perfect but because of her imperfect position. we introduce you to florida's first blind contestant. >> to sign in she must hold her face inches from the sign-in sheet. conner is legally blind. >> we're four feet apart apart. you can't see me. >> no. it affects my retina, and my central vision, so my peripheral vision is in tact. >> at six months old con nor developed over her left eye a mangioma, i build up of red

blood vessels. surgery took care of it but within a few years she was diagnosed with a rare disease and one had nothing to do with the other. just plain bad luck. >> i fell going down the steps of the lincoln memorial believe it or not, but i managed. >> it is a worsening of sight until blindness and is inkushl. con or also has an inkushl tlirs to overcome her disability. she was? gymnastics. >> she ran into the vault one time. >> while she can barely see her vision of the future is clear. she is the first legally blind woman to sign up to compete in the miss florida usa pageant. the winner goes to the national. her journey began a couple of years ago when conner was 16. on a whim she entered a local pageant and won.

>> what's the first you within. >> the harvest queen. >> each new success, each crown, helps build in her a confidence and self esteem that was lacking and each new success led her here. >> what makes her special is her drive. she is admirable. she doesn't give up. >> pageant officials say other than helping connor get marks on the stage, she is treated like all the other young women and never plays to her disability. >> she is the last one that would tell you. she would prefer you not know. more importantly, it is not what i can't do, it is what i can do. >> i have come to learn it is not about winning the pageant. i am so glad my story can be shared and at least i can inspire one person and if i can inspire one person, i feel like i won. >> perhaps what is most refreshing, connor doesn't take herself too seriously. >> what's going through your mind right now? what are you thinking? >> dinner.

>> of course. hollywood florida. >> what an inspiring story. >> isn't that great? >> yes. >> we have a lot am coming up. of course avery and richard are the best legal minds there are out there. they're with us. we're so lucky. every noon on saturday. today they'll be talking about why at an amc theater or chain of theaters in california there are cashiers and ticket holders who are complaining they're standing too long. have you ever seen that seinfeld episode? >> to get healthy. >> in this case the argument is too long, standing up, long hours, and it is an issue of labor laws and so we will see if this lawsuit -- if they're suing. >> we'll see if it has a chance. we want to make sure the employees have chairs. >> we'll see where it goes. >> and then you heard about the case in australia, several cases

recently with great white stark attacks. in this case it was a close encounter to, excuse me, spear fisherman coming nose to nose with this 12-foot great white shark. i speak with one joey, that's what they like to call themselves. i talked to him about this close encounter and how frightened he was and how thrilling it was at the same time and guess what? he went snorkling today. >> wow. >> the pictures alone are frightening. >> i know. >> i can't imagine seeing that up close. >> me either. i am a diver. it is beautiful to marvel over sharks but a great white, i think i might think differently. i don't think i would be excited. your big athlete, instead of playing tennis after the show, why not work out your antibiotiantibiotic abz. i know you already have the six pack. >> oh, yeah. >> we'll have a fitness expert

and also a diet technician. a little blend of yoga and call sten ikz and how you can work your abz and get the six-pack and in order to get it she will help chisel it even further. >> work out with her. >> that was me with her. i was unrecognizable. i was getting down there. >> really fit. >> that was her that was really fit. a couple of times i just watched. you're doing good. anyway, all of that is straight ahead. thank you. >> climbing mount kilimanjaro not what you think of for an eight-year-old. not only did he climb it, he did it for a really great cause. yep. the longer you stay with us, the more you save. and when you switch from another company to us, we even reward you for the time you spent there. genius. yeah, genius. you guys must have your own loyalty program, right? well, we have something. show her, tom.

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welcome back. a pretty remarkable achievement earlier this month. eight-year-old tyler armstrong recently climbed mount kilimanjaro, not just for the thrill but for a great cause. tyler takes us along on his journey. >> climb for tyler. >> i wanted to climb because i hike for muscular dystrophy and where boys cannot walk and i try to find a cure to help them walk again. kilimanjaro, i trained for a year every month.

i would climb a mountain for elevation. it is 19,341 feet. it takes eight days, six days up and two days down. we start about 9:00. some days we hike for three hours and some days we hike for six hours. there was one part of the mountain where we had a rock climb. the glaciers were really big, and it was all ice. on the mountain you go slow and steady and that's what pulley pulley means. the porters, they sing this song. on the top it was below 12. we had warmers like toe warmers, hand warmers, body heaters and lots of layers. my heart was pounding so fast so i had to take lots of breaks.

i was all worked up and my legs couldn't move. at the top i felt like i wanted to turn around and my dad said don't turn around, we're going to make it. i was on the top of africa and i was super high and it was just an amazing to have done mount kilimanjaro. >> how does it feel. >> great. >> i like climbing because i get to hang out with my dad and see nature and reach new heights. >> i love that kid. >> i do, too. >> he is so cute, i was all worked up. >> i love that. so adorable. congratulations. >> it is just the beginning, my friend. >> very good. >> that will do it for me today. newsroom continues with fredrika. >> watch that abz segment. >> i will do. >> i will be working it. >> just hours after one of the deadliest days in syria more violence and more deaths.

there was heavy shelling in several places, at least 35 people killed today. yesterday more than 200 died. opposition activists say regime forces are firing at people from low flying helicopters and syrian state tv claims at least three civilians and a security officer were killed in a suicide truck bombing. the syrian opposition wants kofi annan removed saying he has failed to broker a peace plan. a u.s. official tells cnn syria is believed to be moving some of its chemical weapons. why? it is unclear, the answer that is, but the question is causing significant concerns here in the u.s. and abroad. here is barbara starr. >> a new worry about how far al-assad will go to keep his grip on power. the u.s. n